Thank you to all our members, your families, and friends who submitted comments to the Department of Labor in response to the proposed changes that would negatively affect every member of the building trades community throughout the country. Thousands of comments were submitted by Local 49 members and their families in support of safe and regulated apprenticeship programs. Overall, nearly 325,000 comments were submitted nationwide, which was more than the Department of Labor has ever seen for a single issue, and collectively we surpassed the original comment goal by 75,000.
In addition, your responses helped influence 90 Minnesota state legislators from both sides of the aisle to sign a letter in support of our rights to be safe and productive at work. This overwhelming response shows the true strength in unity that Local 49 has fought for and will continue to fight for. When we work together, we can accomplish anything. It’s because of you that we are one step closer to protecting our future and the future of the building and construction trades’ workforce.
While we celebrate this great accomplishment, we know our work is not yet done. We must remain strong in this campaign and follow this process until the final issue is ruled. We will keep you updated on next steps and look forward to keeping up this momentum.
Thank you again for everything you do and have done to get us to this point. We’re very proud and appreciative of the contribution our members and your family and friends have made to this effort.
In Solidarity,
Jason George
Business Manager/Financial Secretary
IUOE Local 49
